I call my journey...."The termination of the snaggle tooth..."

It was in my early twenties that my oral health really began to affect my personal and social life. Growing up, I had my fair share of cavities like any child. I went to a normal dentist, and had the silver mercury fillings put in my teeth. As I got into my early teenage years, I had more of the same – it seemed like every time I went to the dentist, there would be a cavity, and I would go back for another silver filling. No big deal, I thought – everyone has them. In my late teens, I noticed that the fillings began to deteriorate. I would be eating something normal, like a sandwich, and a small piece of my tooth (or filling – who can tell?) would come off. Was that normal? How was I supposed to know – I thought the fillings were supposed to last forever. The dentist didn’t warn me about anything, and when I went for cleanings no one told me any different. And most importantly, nothing hurt, so I didn’t’ really worry about it. And then it all changed in my early twenties. It started off small – I would avoid chewing on one tooth, because it hurt a little bit if I chewed on it the wrong way. And then, a tooth would be sensitive to chocolate, so I would make a note not to chew chocolate on that side. Then, if something was too hard, it would also hurt. Or if it was too cold, it would hurt. Years passed, and I couldn’t tell anymore what tooth it was, or if it was the top or the bottom – everything seemed to hurt in some way, somewhere in my mouth. Eventually, I found myself avoiding my favourite foods - they were too hot or too cold, too crunchy or too hard. The pain, which began slowly, now seemed to be there all the time. Not just after meals, or when I woke up, but constantly there. On the best of days, I was popping over the counter pain killers, practically drinking Oral gel and I never went without a cheek full of cloves (a so-called herbal remedy my mom told me would reduced the pain). Imagine what having pain from your mouth ALL the time would do to you – I didn’t have to imagine, it was my reality. AND on top of it, my right front tooth was stuck behind the other front tooth – what I called my ‘snaggle tooth’. This didn’t help me at all – somehow, over the years, I became self conscious of my smile as well. Knowing my mouth was not healthy, combined with not wanting to show my smile was not a good recipe for happiness. Every time I would go out with friends I was reminded – they would be laughing and smiling, and I would make sure I didn’t show my teeth. They would order a drink – and for me - “no ice please”. If we wanted to go for dinner - “oh, I’m not hungry”, or “no, I can’t make it, but maybe after”. I was too worried about my mouth, terrified another piece of tooth would crack off in public. Occasionally, it got so bad I would be talking to someone, and the pain would kick in so strong I would lose track of the conversation – I’m sure they thought I was crazy. But what could I say? I can’t tell people I’m 25 years old and my mouth is falling apart.

It was in a social situation in the summer of 2006 where I first met Daniel Daniel. He seemed normal and nice, and eventually I found out that he owned a dental practice. It was during our conversation that I revealed jokingly, "I wish I had a set of pliers to yank these teeth out." He instructed me to call his practice first thing in the morning and assured me his staff would find a way to squeeze me in his schedule... This was the beginning of a 5 year journey which I like to refer to as, the termination of the snaggle tooth!

When I walked through the door on my first visit, I was greeted by his friendly team. I was given a tour of his practice and before I knew it pictures of my mouth/teeth were being projected on a flat screen television above my head, while I sat in the dental chair.  Dr. Daniel was very patient in explaining the source of my problems and answering my 101 questions, something no dentist has ever taken the time to do. By the end of that visit I felt confident that Daniel and his team could help.

As a young working professional who had daily contact with new clients, my smile became my primary concern. It was during that visit that Daniel Daniel let me know that I had options for the straightening of my teeth; but it was the health of my gums and teeth that was his primary concern- the source of my pain. To put it mildly, there may have been one or two teeth that didn't need attention - the rest were well let’s say mildly intact! It was during that first visit that we worked out a treatment plan that was in keeping with my budget. Dr. Daniel and his team have went to great lengths to accommodate my busy work schedule,  financial constraints, less than ideal dental coverage and emergency visits. The treatments took time, and they made me feel welcome and kept me comfortable at every visit. I would watch television or movies, have a blanket if I was cold – they took care of everything I could possibly think of. I would freshen up in his washroom (very, very nice) and go back to work after the appointment, without missing a beat. Through all of this, I maintained a sense of control of my treatment plan - and never felt that Dr. Daniel lost sight of my long term goal - a perfect smile.

When all of the major work on my back teeth was completed, it was finally time to look at options for correcting my smile. The pain was gone, I was eating whatever I wanted, and my gums and teeth felt healthy for the first time in what seemed like forever. Now I wanted to get to the snaggle tooth! Dr. Daniel and I decided together that Invisalign was the perfect fit, no metal mouth required. First he took impressions of my teeth, and assessed my smile. I came back, and he sat down with me, pulling up a computer generated image of my teeth which was projected into a software program.  With the click of a mouse, he was able to show me how my smile could look at the end of the process.... Exciting!!! Every two weeks I was given two new clear aligners (top and bottom); designed to slightly shift my teeth over time. The aligners were undetectable even to close friends and family members, and I could pop them out during meals and snack time. I had no restrictions on my favourite sticky or crunchy foods, and literally I watched my teeth change week to week - excited for my next set of aligners. It was as easy of making monthly follow up visits to ensure my teeth were moving as expected, and to ensure that the new aligners fitted correctly.

I have reached the end of my treatment plan now, and I couldn't be happier with the end result... good-bye snaggle tooth!!!! I highly recommend Daniel Daniel and his team -  they really have demonstrated an exceptional level of customer service and professionalism. I couldn’t imagine ever going anywhere else!

I can honestly say even on very bad days... I always have a reason to Smile :)

Signed Happy Daniel Daniel Dentistry Client for life,

Jana Nickerson